Isle of Dogs sailing club one of UK’s top training centres

An Isle of Dogs sailing club has had its status reaffirmed as one of the UK’s top training centres for young yachting enthusiasts.

Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre, Westerferry Road, has been a Royal Yacht Association (RYA) Champion Club since 2010 and is considered a ‘centre of excellence’ for those learning the sport.

Designed to lay the foundations for future British Olympic and Paralympic sailors, the Champion Club programme rewards clubs that continually bring new young faces out onto the water.

Docklands Sailing is one of 173 clubs nationwide benefitting from the investment and has seen several youngsters progress to national squads as a result.

Iona Dixon started sailing with the youth club before moving into competitive racing four years ago.

After gradually progressing through the classes she has now just been selected to represent Great Britain as one of four under-16-year-olds in the RYA Laser Radial Transition Squad.

DSWC head coach Matthew Rickard said: “The RYA Champion Club status has branded the club as a centre of excellence.

“The association to the RYA racing pathway is attractive to new sailors looking for a strong club to access the RYA Racing Squads.

For more about Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre visit http://www.dswc.org/